Terrorism and Soft Power: Interrogation of the Clogs in the Wheels of Nigerian Efforts in Combating Terrorism

Abstract

One of the major security challenges affecting both developed and developing countries alike is the issue of terrorism. In Africa, countries like Kenya, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria are facing terrorist attacks. Each of these countries also engages in seamless efforts to combat terrorism. Nigeria, in particular, has been facing terrorist attacks since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its first attacks. Since then, to date, a series of attacks, both large and small scale, has been mounted on innocent Nigerians. Successive  overnments have equally made concerted efforts to curb and combat terrorism in Nigeria. However, it seems those efforts have yielded little or no results. The perception in some quarters was that President Goodluck Jonathan did not do enough to fight against terror and that President Buhari, being a northerner and ex-serviceman, would do better. In fairness to him, he equally demonstrated more
commitment to fighting these terrorists as he shifted military headquarters to Maiduguri. Despite all these, the situation still remains the same. Why is it difficult for Nigeria to get rid of terror despite efforts to do so? This study examines factors that serve as clogs in the wheel of Nigerian efforts to put an end to terrorism in Nigeria. The research adopts primary and secondary data with the use of interviews, textbooks, journals, online documents, and documentaries. It also adopts Protracted Social Conflict (PSC). The research finds that there are still socio-political and structural problems in Nigerian society that hinder all efforts to combat terrorism. The research recommends that the efforts to combat terrorism should not be concentrated only on the military approach, but must also involve a soft approach or the civil aspect of counterterrorism.